A stylus may be employed as a computer input device. Inputs generated by a stylus may include the x-y position of a stylus on a screen or drawing tablet and the contact force between the stylus and a surface. For instance, the x-y position may be employed to interface with a graphical user interface or a drawing application executed on a computer. The pressure applied to a stylus may be sensed by a sensor in the stylus.
An alternative computer input device is a computer mouse. A computer mouse provides x-y position input in addition to inputs from two or more buttons. The buttons may be clicked to select objects of a graphical user interface, or held down to move objects displayed on a screen or to draw lines, for example.
A stylus lacks button functions, while a computer mouse lacks the accurate positional control and force sensing of a stylus.
One prior approach to improving the functionality of a stylus is to add an axial force sensor or switch that responds to stylus contact force. However, this provides only a single control that cannot duplicate the functions of a computer mouse.
An alternative approach is to supply one or external buttons on the housing of the stylus. However, such buttons are not readily activated while the stylus is being moved, since a user must change their grip of the stylus to activate an external button.
It would be useful to provide a stylus with multiple controls that are convenient for use.